San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-02-10
ErOm the Drnnih District.
DUTFAU WELLS, Erath Co., Tex, !
Feb. l, 1887.


DUTFAU WELLS, Erath Co., Tex, !
Feb. l, 1887. {
EDIToR FREE PEEss:-When L lef
your beautiful part of the State fol
my home in the drouth stricken Yves
/ promised to drop the PRESS an oc
casional line, but the serious accident
which L met with ut Waco, of whicl
mention was made Mt the time i'll YOU
paper, has prevented.
1 am sorry to say that the droutll
still remains with us. Only one light
rain since L can home, but glad to
say it was sufficient to fairly set and
root our wheat, which in another weel;
would havo totally persisted, and Is
now beginning to look green. Ii We
get another rain in week or so, fol-
lowed by a fair season, our prospects
will be good for u fair wheat crop;
but how our farmers are to put in
their corn and cotton crop without
assistance from some quarter, | nm
unable to say Lust week [ had II
long talk with "Choctaw Bill, IN old
Baptist preacher, rs years old, who
lives in Comanche county. He is a
man of good brain, and II close OBJ
server. lie says he is confident from
what he has seen Of the condition Of
the people in his county, and several
other counties no has been over, that
not one farmer in ten will be able to
raise Il crop this season on account
of having nothing in the world to
feed on. He is u remarkably active
man Of his age, and told me that ow
ing to the destitute condition of the
people. and the almost entire absence
of anything to feed his horse on, he
was compelled to turn him loose on
the range and attend all his appoint
ments on foot, which he WAS doing,
and had some rs or 80 miles to walk
the day [ saw him. He says there
are hundreds of women and children.
in his, and counties west Of him, who,
for the first time in life, are compelled
to go bare'ooted and poorly clad.
This is sad-but true; and aid must
necessarily come from some quarter,
and soon, or dire suffering must en-
sue.
| was ont all last week in different
parts of our own county, and, to say
the least OF it, the picture is an IN
pleasant one to think Of, OF look at
l had to take ny little sack of corn
everywhere [ went. Surely Congress
and the Legislature will do some
thing for our suffering people. And
in their bohplf let me extend their
thanks for the donation you so kindly
made them. Your regrets for not
being able to do more. convinces our
suffering people that all hearts aro
not steeled against the lives of suffer
ing humanity. Would to heaven all
who are so much more able in your
county than yourself, would do inst
half as much. 1t would not only
make for them light in the valley,
bat would make glad hearts OF many
Il lone widow and orphan in our
midst, and the dark and cheerless
liresidc, once more brighten up with
deeds of true charity.
Ii you have men among you of
speculative proclivities, they have only
to come west and buy good homes
AMI property at, and for less in many
cases than, fifty cents on the dollar
| heard a man say to-day (who two
years ago was a wcil-to. do mcrchaut)
that in order TO get money enough
to take himself and family to Wash |
ington Territory. he would take $3.50
for his homestead and lot new. |
cooking and heating stove, fine sew
ing machine. all his furniture,-in
fact, everything they had that they
could not pack in two trunks and take
rs baggage.
| have nice 22-acre lot OF first
class land, a two story, seven room. !
weather boarded house. painted.worth
$4,000. that / will take $500 for.
and move to Hays, and drink san
Marcos water till Gabriel toots for
me
I shall always revert to my short
STAY IN your county. and the rcmUm-
brlncc 81 the hospitality extended me
by YOUR good people. With the most
pleasant recolloctiuns. and would BE-
glad to live among You If YOU Will
send somebody 81 buy mc out Our
location is one Of tie most hellthfuI
~ the state. fine mineral water. fire
school three churcho-, and god so
oety. There j. M denying the fact .
that tins terrible ir1uih has demon .
slizei IL. S,ui somebody % buy
-Lc cat W.. .